This was published on August
1, 1983 in "De Noord-Amsterdammer" (a local
paper for Amsterdam-Noord).SCROLL DOWN TO READ
THE TRANSLATION

TRANSLATION:

MORNINGTON CRESCENT
It's not always the empty vessels that make the loudest sound

AMSTERDAM-NORTH. -- Fortunately they
rehearse in a refurbished bank vault, because over the past two
years the North-Amsterdam punk-band Mornington Crescent has not only
become ten times as fast, but also twelve times as loud. "That is
our goal, to become the loudest band in Amsterdam, if we are not so
already," solo-guitarist Stan reports.

Punk dead? Think twice. Not only does
Mornington Crescent keep this genre alive, as often happens with all
sorts of bands that can not escape their childhood, but they also
bring an enlivening of Punk. Perhaps this is possible because Erik
(drums, --constantly producing steam from behind the drums in a very
special way), Emile (guitar), Stan (guitar), Jasper (bass) and Hans
(vocals) just keep doing it for fun. "We all like different kinds of
music, but this music is the best for us to play, the best way to
blow off steam."

It all starts rather cliche
over two years ago. A couple of friends rehearse in a garage - which
they have had to abandon due to the noise - a couple of gigs at
schools follow and they keep enjoying it. "Even though there are
hardly any places in Noord for bands to rehearse." Then their star
is rising: two gigs at the Paradiso. Almost obligatory for a band in
their genre to move ahead. And move ahead they do. A self-published
single appeared and they hope to be gigging regularly the coming
year.

In the meantime the band has had
twelve different names and some 25 band members have come and gone.
"The singers were either just not good enough or they didn't speak
English well enough," Erik says. During the rehearsal I really
wonder whether proper knowledge of the English language is actually
needed.
The Frankenstein-like sound that Hans produces sounds mean, but is
well intended. Unfortunately he can hardly be heard over the guitar
parts. "Oh well, actually the lyrics are not that important, it's
the vocal support that matters. The lyrics don't have any political
content or anything. We do have one song against religion, but then
you have to," Jasper quips. And Mornington Crescent, does that mean
anything? Stan: "I was in England and I ended up at a subway station
by that name. It just sounds good."

Rough, is a good word to describe
Mornington Crescent's songs. Tight compositions with successive
changes in accent and accelerations, like water in a mountain stream
that is sometimes pressed through narrows to finally end in a
waterfall. Time of this flow from start to end is usually not longer
than about a minute and a halve, although there is a sullen song
that lasts a bit longer. "Was it three verses or two?" They write
their own songs, of course. "We don't copy anything, but inevitably
you will use things from music you like, unintentionally. Covering
songs is just not possible because our individual tastes are very
different," Stan tells convincingly. The Dead Kennedys and Motorhead
t-shirts illustrate his story. With a repertoire of about 25 songs
it is not easy to stay original. "This is possible because all the
band members write the songs. Someone suggests something and the
others add to it. The lyrics then follow."

About their successful counterparts
Drukwerk - other bands in Noord usually have a short life span - "We
used to like them. A nice band that, especially in the beginning,
made nice music. But now they have become too commercial." Jealousy
or not, Mornington Crescent will not be fit for the disco for a
while. But for anyone that wants to consume some cheerful decibels
and blow off some steam, a Mornington Crescent gig is the king of
the crop.